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Professor Dame Sally C Davies

Last modified date:

13 July 2010

Professor Dame Sally Davies is the Director General of Research and Development and Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health and NHS

Sally has been actively involved in NHS R and D from its establishment. As Director General she developed the government strategy for health and social care research and is now responsible for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). She is a Board member of the Office of the Coordination of Health Research (OSCHR), and chairs the UK Clinical Research Collaboration (UKCRC). The DH and NIHR fund applied, clinical and policy research, NHS research infrastructure, research capacity development and support the NHS in its research activities. Key national programmes include the internationally recognised Health Technology Assessment Programme and Clinical Trials, Service Delivery and Organisation and Invention for Innovation. New initiatives include the Biomedical Research Centres and units, experimental medicine and cancer research facilities and the NIHR Centres for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care.

Sally led the UK delegation to the WHO Ministerial Summit November 2004, spoke on R and D at the World Health Assembly May 2005, is a member of the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Health Research (ACHR) and chaired the Expert Advisory Committee for the development of the WHO research strategy, submitted as a resolution to the World Health Assembly 2009. She is a member of the International Advisory Committee for A*STAR, Singapore and the Caribbean Health Research Council Board, and advises many others on research strategy and evaluation including the Australian NHMRC.

Her own research interests focus on sickle cell disease. She was a member of the steering group for the Biotechnology Innovation and Growth Team, chaired by Sir David Cooksey and its “refresh” the Health Care Industry Task Force, and is a member of the UK Health Innovation Council.